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Parliamentary standards authorities are set to investigate whether a former Conservative minister who sits as a peer while simultaneously lobbying on behalf of a Caribbean tax haven has broken House of Lord rules.

Labour yesterday wrote to the Independent Commissioner for Standards asking him to investigate whether Lord Blencathra had breached regulations designed to stop lords taking on paid advocacy roles which could interfere with their job as legislators.

The intervention is likely to trigger a full inquiry which if it finds he has broken the rules could result in Lord Blencathra being censured. The move follows an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and The Independent, which revealed that the Conservative peer had lobbied on behalf of the Cayman Islands while claiming thousands of pounds in House of Lords attendance allowances.

In the six months since he was appointed by the islands' Government, he has lobbied George Osborne to reduce the burden of air passenger transport taxes on the Caymans, facilitated an all-expenses-paid trip for three senior MPs over the Easter recess, and intervened over an Early Day Motion in the Commons calling for the Caymans to be closed down as a tax haven. Last night Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West, accused the Tory peer of abusing the system and said he would refer him to the Committee for Standards in Public Life.

Guidance on the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Lords says they may not accept payment in return for parliamentary services. This includes a ban on peers "making use of their position to arrange meetings with a view to any person lobbying Members of either House, ministers or officials". When asked whether he thought he had breached the Code, Lord Blencathra, formerly known as David Maclean, said: "You have confused lobbying Parliament, which I do not do, with lobbying the Government which I do. I am very clear that if there was a measure before The House of Lords on any matter relating to the Cayman Islands then I would not lobby Lords on it nor speak nor vote on it."

Mr Flynn, a member of the Constitutional Reform Select Committee, said the response was "extraordinary". "I was mystified by Lord Blencathra's concept of a distinction between Parliament and Government when it comes to the prohibition on paid lobbying this is an entirely novel excuse for abusing the system," he said.

The President of the Liberal Democrats has also attacked the peer's activities. Tim Farron said: "With all the controversy surrounding lobbying and tax at the moment, it's astonishing that a Tory peer is now the lead advocate in Britain for one of the world's biggest tax havens. If Lord Blencathra is using his very privileged position in the House of Lords to lobby for a government that wants to see money that should be for our schools, hospitals and our armed forces sailing off in luxury yachts to be stored on the Cayman Islands, it is yet another mockery of the Parliamentary system, and reinforces a need for an elected upper chamber."

Jon Trickett, Shadow Cabinet Office minister, welcomed the call to investigate Lord Blencathra. "It is clear that an investigation into any impropriety is urgently needed. There needs to be clarity over whether the nature of Lord Blencathra's dual role, as both a parliamentarian and lobbyist, has breached the Lords Code of Conduct.

"With almost daily revelations of Tory sleaze along with a significantly watered down consultation paper on lobbying it is clear this Government is unwilling to make bold decisions in the national interest but rather maintain the influence of a small circle of elites."

http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/

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Watchdog set to investigate peer over lobbying for Cayman Islands

17-04-2012 21:05 4/16/12 - Behind on your taxes? The IRS is going after your passport. Josh recaps the Atascadero Tea Party, introduces congressional candidate Chris Mitchum and breaks down the race for the 5th District SLO County Supervisorial seat.

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Freedom Report: Tax Day Candidate Catch Up - Video

17-04-2012 21:31 Tax Freedom Day is the day in the year when you stop paying the government state local and federal taxes, you actually get to keep the money that you start earning. This year Utah's Tax Freedom Day happens to fall on Tuesday, April 17. Here is the script to the video: ROYCE VAN TASSELL: "Tax Freedom Day is the day in the year when you stop paying the government state local and federal taxes, you actually get to keep the money that you start earning. This year is April 17th. Across the country, because you have different tax rates and the progressivity of the Federal income tax, you have a different tax Freedom Day for each state." VOICE-OVER: Royce Van Tassell with Utah Taxpayers Association says this year Utah's Tax Freedom Day happens to fall on Tuesday, April 17, but it's not always on the same date. VAN TASSELL: "It fluctuates back and forth, it depends on tax collections and how strong the economy is and various changes at the state and local level. Between 2004 and 2007 the state enacted a $440 million income tax cut, and so that obviously is going to push things back a little bit." VOICE-OVER: Tennessee has the earliest Tax Freedom Day this year, on March 31, while Connecticut has the latest on May 5. Charlie Roberts, a public information officer at the Utah State Tax Commission, explains how much Utahns will be paying in taxes this year. CHARLIE ROBERTS: "They will be paying almost $15 billion in federal income employment and the state taxes. And for state taxes ...

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Utah and Tax Freedom Day 2012 - Video

If you are among the many people who avoids doing your tax return until the last minute, today is probably one of the most stressful days of the year. (Don't forget to file, or at least request an extension, by midnight tonight.) According to the conservative Tax Foundation, this is also a day for celebration: As of today, April 17, the average American worker has now worked enough in 2012 to pay all of his or her federal, state and local taxes for the year. The group calls the concept Tax Freedom Day, and it comes four days later than it did last year.

Missouri's taxes are lower than average, so Show-Me State residents could have celebrated their tax freedom 10 days ago, on April 7. Illinois residents have to work until April 23 to cover their full tax burden.

Like taxes in general, though, the Tax Freedom Day concept is controversial. The liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities points out that 80 percent of American households actually pay less than the "average" burden. It also contends that the very idea of tax "freedom" is flawed:

Few Americans would likely feel more free if Tax Freedom Day came earlier in the year because the federal government stopped providing for national security, ensuring homeland security, conducting food safety inspections, or testing prescription drugs.

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Filed your taxes yet? As of today, you've also worked enough to pay them

Tax tab:

$2.62T Americans will pay in federal taxes in 2012

$1.42T Americans will pay in state/local taxes in 2012

29.2% Estimated portion of American income as a whole going to taxes

107 Days of work it takes nation to pay 2012 taxes

110 Days of work it takes California to pay 2012 taxes

Source: National Tax Foundation

Tuesday wasn't just the deadline to pay last year''s taxes.

It also marked national Tax Freedom Day the symbolic date by which the Tax Foundation estimates Americans have made enough money to pay off their taxes for 2012.

This year it took 107 days for Americans to earn enough income to meet their federal, state and local tax obligations, according to the annual report by the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research group. Thats four more days than it took to foot the tax bill in 2011 and represents about 29.2 percent of the nations total income.

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Californians work 110 days to pay tax bill